It is so easy to overlook gradual changes as you get older.

Life has a way of adjusting around them. A little less energy becomes another cup of coffee, poorer sleep becomes part of a busy week…or month…or year, and carrying a little extra weight gradually becomes something you stop noticing.

While there is nothing wildly unusual about that, many of the most important health red flags begin in exactly this way. Paying attention to those early changes makes it much easier to address them before they become a proper problem.

1. Stop Putting Yourself Last

It is easy to make time for everything except yourself.

Work needs to be finished, the shopping has to be done, and there is always someone else who seems to need your attention first. Looking after your own health often becomes something you’ll get around to another day.

Habits are much easier to build before your health gives you a reason to. Making time for yourself now can have a lasting influence on your future wellbeing.

2. Stop Assuming Today Doesn’t Matter

So many of us believe there is always another opportunity to start looking after our health and age management regimens.

Tomorrow feels much the same as today, next week doesn’t seem very far away, and putting things off rarely feels like it will make much difference. 

Those delays eventually add up.

Build the healthier habits from today; your future self will thank you.

3. Pay Attention to the Early Signs

Life often carries on much as it always does, leaving very little reason to think about the small changes happening in the background.

Blood sugar, blood pressure, and even muscle mass can all begin to change long before they have any noticeable impact on how you feel from one day to the next.

While there is nothing crazy about those things changing slightly as you age, understanding the health red flags to spot in your 30s can help you recognize those early changes before they have a chance to develop into more significant health concerns.

4. Look Beyond the Number on the Scale

It is crazy how much importance one number can carry.

For many people, the scale becomes the deciding factor. If the number hasn’t changed, it feels as though nothing else has either. There is very little reason to think beyond it, even though your overall health is made up of far more than your weight alone.

Looking beyond the scale gives you a much broader understanding of your health. Paying attention to things like muscle mass, body composition, and fitness can provide a far more complete picture as you move through your thirties.

5. Don’t Compare Yourself to Other People

It is understandable to believe you’re doing well when everyone around you is doing the same.

If the people in your life all eat similarly, move similarly, and complain about the same aches, pains, and lack of energy, there is very little to suggest your own routine deserves a second thought.

Familiar habits quickly become accepted habits.

Health isn’t measured against the people around you. It is measured against what helps your own body function at its best.

Final Words

There is no perfect age to start looking after your health. Your thirties are, however, the perfect opportunity to look at your routines, keep the ones that serve you well, and change the ones that no longer do.